Warning: Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 1, episode 10, and George R.R. Martin’s book, Fire & Blood.Here’s what to know about House of the Dragon season 2, including what to expect from its story and when it might be released. Coming three years after the controversial Game of Thrones ending, House of the Dragon has marked a return to form for stories set in Westeros. It has generally received strong reviews and praise from critics and audiences alike, and been a huge hit for HBO in the ratings as well. Season 1 may have put any lingering doubts to rest, but the onus is now on what the future looks like, as that was only the beginning.
House of the Dragon season 2 will be expected to push things even further, especially following on from the dramatic season 1 ending. After Aegon and Rhaenyra were both crowned, and Aemond killed Lucerys just outside of Storm’s End, then civil war is on the horizon and things are only going to get bigger and bloodier going forward. The Game of Thrones spinoff is very much set up for the long haul and should run for a good few years, so here’s a breakdown of what’s known as far about House of the Dragon season 2.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Latest News
The latest news on House of the Dragon season 2 is a bit of bad news mixed with some positive silver linings. It has been reported that season 2 of House of the Dragon will have a smaller episode count with eight episodes compared to season 1’s 10 episode run (via TV Line). It is suggested this decision is made for creative reasons rather than financial ones which is promising despite fans getting less episodes. However, along with this update is the report that the decision is also connected to early talks of House of the Dragon season 3 and possibly ending the series after that or season 4.
Other exciting House of the Dragon season 2 news comes in the form of casting and story updates. Filming began on the sophomore season in April 2023, and alongside that announcement was that of several new characters. Alys Rivers will be played by Gayle Rankin (GLOW), whereas Simon Russell Beale (The Death of Stalin) will take on the role of Ser Simon Strong. Freddie Fox (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword) will be playing Alicent Hightower’s brother Ser Gwayne Hightower. Finally, Abubakar Salim (Raised by Wolves) has been cast as Alyn of Hull.
In addition, showrunner Ryan Condal has teased that House of the Dragon season 2 will be a lot more like its predecessor Game of Thrones (via Collider), and feature more traditional storytelling. Season 1 was largely setup for the main story of the fall of house Targaryen, seeing various time jumps and recasts of the younger Targaryens to indicate the passage of time. This is arguably a welcome change for audiences, as while HotD season 1 was good, some found the timeline difficult to follow, especially when it came to the age jumps of Rhaenyra and Alicent’s children. Condal’s full comment can be read below:
“I’m excited to pick up where we left off. Now we get to fall into the more traditional rhythms of storytelling and Game of Thrones. We’ve always talked about this particular tale, George [R.R. Martin] has too, of being a Shakespearean or Greek tragedy. This series is very much about a house tearing itself apart from within. Now that all those pieces have been set on the board, I’m really excited to tell the next chapter, to see what happens now that Viserys is gone and no longer keeping a lid on things.”
The final bit of House of the Dragon season 2 news comes again from Condal, who teases a big gut-punching twist for the upcoming installment: the Blood and Cheese storyline. Though Condal didn’t give much away while starring on the The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of podcast, he revealed that rat traps have been a major area of historical research for him going into season 2. The events of the Blood and Cheese story have been foreshadowed by the season 1 finale. In Fire and Blood, Damon hires two assassins, known as Blood and Cheese, to avenge Lucerys’ death, resulting in one of the most shocking moments of the war.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Is Confirmed
Unsurprisingly, House of the Dragon season 2 was renewed by HBO shortly after the season 1 premiere, which set viewing records for the network. Despite the backlash Game of Thrones season 8 faced, House of the Dragon was a hit. House of the Dragon needs four seasons to tell this story according to author George R.R. Martin, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he got his wish. Still, HBO hasn’t renewed the show beyond season 2 yet though there are talks.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Release Date Prediction
House of the Dragon season 2 began filming in Spring 2023 at the latest, with Spanish newspaper Hoy (via Watchers on the Wall) reporting production will return to Cáceres (which was used for King’s Landing in season 1) around April and May. Filming might begin beforehand, however, with the UK’s Leavesden Studios used to film much of season 1. Actor Steve Touissant, who plays Corlys Velaryon, suggest (via Twitter) that production would be starting very soon.
As well as filming, there will be a long post-production (especially as season 2 should have bigger battles and more dragons). House of the Dragon season 1 filming was wrapped in February 2022, six months prior to the eventual release, though it also had a schedule that included Covid-related shutdowns. With that, the House of the Dragon season 2 release date being around April 2024, a slot long occupied by Game of Thrones, is a reasonable assumption, though HBO suggests the release window for House of the Dragon season 2 will be Summer 2024.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Cast: Who Will Return?
The House of the Dragon season 2 cast should bring back most of the actors involved in season 1. After several time jumps, House of the Dragon seems set with its adult cast, and so all the characters still alive are likely to return. That will mean the show is once again led by Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, as well as an increased focus on their children as well. Based on season 1, then the main cast of season 2 will look like this:
- Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen
- Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower
- Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower
- Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole
- Eve Best as Rhaenys Targaryen
- Steve Toussain as Corlys Velaryon
- Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria
- Tom Glynn-Carney as Aegon II Targaryen
- Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen
- Phia Saban as Helaena Targaryen
- Harry Collett as Jacaerys Velaryon
- Bethany Antonia as Baela Targaryen
- Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen
- Graham McTavish as Harrold Westerling
- Matthew Needham as Larys Strong
There will also be several new House of the Dragon season 2 characters. Among these will be Cregan Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, with whom Jace is going to meet at Winterfell. Similarly, Jace will also be meeting Jeyne Arryn, Lady of the Eyrie and Warden of the East. Meanwhile, Daemon’s discussion of dragons should mean new dragonriders in House of the Dragon season 2: this will likely include Hugh Hammer, a blacksmith’s bastard who claims Vermithor; Ulf White, a man-at-arms who claims Silverwing; and Nettles, a young bastard girl who is able to tame the wild dragon Sheepstealer and becomes a close companion of Daemon.
House of the Dragon season 2 saw four new cast members announced recently. Gayle Rankin (Men) is taking on the integral role of Alys Rivers. Alys is a powerful witch from Harrenhal who is plagued with visions from the future and becomes an important ally to the Greens. Another ally for the Greens will be Freddie Fox’s (The Crown) Ser Gwayne Hightower, Alicent’s brother and a member of the City Watch. Simon Russell Beale’s (Into The Woods) involvement as Ser Simon Strong should see Harrenhal become a highly-contested stronghold. Finally, Abubakar Salim (Jamestown) should take the side of the Blacks as Alyn of Hull, a sailor in the Velaryon fleet.
Quite rare for a TV show, House of the Dragon recast several of its main characters in the middle of the first season due to a time jump in the story. Emily Carey and Milly Alcock were two of the most prominent cast members as the younger Allicent Hightower and Rhaenyra Targaryen, respectively. After being recast with Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy, Alcock revealed she and Carey would not be returning to the show as there would be no Rhaenyra and Allicent flashbacks in House of the Dragon season 2.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Story Details
The House of the Dragon season 2 story should very much continue right where season 1 leaves off, which is to say: the Dance of the Dragons. With Aegon and Rhaenyra declaring themselves as King and Queen, respectively, the battle for the Iron Throne is truly on, especially after Aemond’s actions at Storm’s End. While it’s unclear how much of Fire & Blood will be adapted for season 2, the book does offer insight into major events that could take place during the next set of episodes.
There are several tragic deaths and injuries on the horizon in the story, a clash between twins, and the “Blood and Cheese” event. On top of that, season 2 could adapt the Dragonseeds story, where non-Targaryens become dragon riders. Rhaenyra, in particular, goes through several key changes due to heartbreak. House of the Dragon season 2 will be very different in that it will likely expand further beyond King’s Landing and Dragonstone, not least with Jacaerys heading off to the Vale of Arryn and Winterfell. Fans can expect a bigger season as well with five new dragons promised for House of the Dragon season 2.
Showrunner Ryan Condal teased that the events of the Blood and Cheese storyline could be happening when he mentioned he had been studying historical rat traps. While no casting has been announced for the two assassins, Condal’s words are too poignant to ignore. In addition, the storytelling aspect of House of the Dragon season 2 will be much more akin to its predecessor Game of Thrones. Season 1 largely acted as set up and exposition, explaining who was who in the Targaryen Civil War and what got the ordeal started in the first place. Now that’s out of the way, there shouldn’t be any more major time jumps or recasts.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Trailer
Since House of the Dragon season 2 won’t begin filming until the spring of 2023, there are no teasers, trailers, BTS images or promotional material out yet. House of the Dragon season 1 premiered in August 2022 and the first teaser arrived in October 2021. Season 2 could follow that trailer release schedule if the summer 2024 release date happens. Filming doesn’t start until March 2023 (via Digital Spy) which should provide enough time for a Fall trailer drop even if it is just a House of the Dragon season 2 teaser.
